The story of Mayo's historic hotel left to slowly die, its colourful past and the future
by Auld Stock
THE Imperial Hotel, opposite The Green, Castlebar, is rarely out of the news, sometimes for the wrong reasons.
Because of the fact that the National Land League was founded in the Imperial Hotel by Michael Davitt and Thomas Gillespie, editor of The Connaught Telegraph, it is regarded as one of the most historic buildings in the county town.
A plaque to mark the founding of the League was erected at the front of the hotel on August 16, 1949, to coincide with the start of the Land Project which was designed to assist Irish farmers in improving farming methods.
I was present at the ceremony which was covered by John Ross, chief reporter with Radio Éireann, now known as RTE.
The Western Care Association was also founded in the Imperial Hotel. Judge John Garavan presided at the initial meeting of the association.
John was a member of Castlebar Urban Council as well as being chairman of the authority. His son Eoin was also a member of council as well as serving as chairman of the group.
Eoin was appointed a judge some years ago.
In the early 1900s the Imperial Hotel was owned by the Horton family, later by the Pelly family, and later still by a number of other people.
Directly opposite the Imperial Hotel stood the tree where Fr. Conroy, one of the heroes of the 1798 Rising, was hanged.
The hotel overlooks The Green, the location of Lord Lucan’s cricket ground.
The foundation stone for one of Castlebar’s oldest buildings, which now serves as a church, opposite the hotel, was laid by Charles Wesley, the noted preacher, on May 2, 1785.
John Wesley was a regular visitor to the Browne family, Rehins.
The building next to the Imperial Hotel is now occupied by the road design team of Mayo County Council.
Prior to that it served as a nursing home for some years. In earlier years it served as a branch of the National Bank.
One of the bank’s last managers was Lloyd Mahoney whose wife Pat served on the staff of Castlebar bacon factory for some years.
In the 1800s a jail was located on a site near the Imperial Hotel.
Years ago, when meetings of Mayo County Council were held in the Courthouse, the Imperial Hotel was the centre of much political activity and caucus meetings were regularly held in the upper rooms of the building.
Those meetings, attended by the top brass in the various political parties, made decisions which had bearings on the future of some people in the political world.
Pauline Brinklow, Garryduff, Castlebar, was a courteous member of the staff of the Imperial Hotel, Castlebar, daughter of the late John and Mary Tunney, Ballymacragh.
Martin Lydon, McHale Road, a man of many talents, carried out a lot of maintenance work in the Imperial Hotel.
He was father of Martin Lydon, Westport Road, who ran a successful garage business in Thomas Street, Castlebar, for a number of years, next to where Community Radio Castlebar is now located.
Tony Stafford came from County Cavan to work as a porter in the Imperial Hotel in the 1950s. Porters were then known as ‘boots.’
A nice footballer, Tony was playing in a local league game in McHale Park.
He leapt high to catch the ball in a scoring position.
However, ‘Boston’ Bennett, had other ideas and as he punched the ball clear his fist came in contact with the Cavan man’s jaw who was knocked unconscious for a short time.
Tommy ‘Tiger’ Lacey, after applying some potion to Stafford’s jaw, eventually brought him around.
Micksie Gannon remarked that it was the greatest event since the miracle of the loaves and fishes.
Micksie was a nice soccer player and a dedicated Castlebar Celtic supporter.
He was a night watchman in the bacon factory for many years.
His two sons, Paddy and Johnny played with much success for Celtic.
When I was a young lad the Imperial Hotel had a specially built horse-drawn vehicle which conveyed the suitcases of guests to the hotel from the railway station. The vehicle was looked after by a man named Peter Foy.
Another man who worked in the Imperial Hotel was Michael Murphy, who came from Cork.
In those years the hotel was owned by the Pelly family. The family had a number of milch cows which grazed in a field close to Celtic Park.
St. Brid’s School, under the auspices of the Western Care Association, was later built on the field.
It was part of Michael Murphy’s job to bring two cows from Pellys’ field to the rear of the Imperial Hotel where they were milked by Michael
The journey to the Imperial Hotel meant the animals had to make their way across The Green.
For reasons best known to themselves, the cows stopped each day opposite the Courthouse where they had a call of nature and emptied their inners of large deposits of cow dung.
This daily occurrence annoyed a number of local people who complained to the local gardai and officials of Castlebar Urban Council.
The matter was brought to the attention of Tommy Gillespie, the then editor of The Connaught Telegraph.
Tommy had a keen sense of humour and he suggested that diapers (nappies) could be attached to the offending animals and this would have the desired results.
He understood there was a gentleman in Castlebar who was capable of manufacturing diapers and fitting them to the offending animals.
Michael Murphy was upset by the suggestion and said the cows under his care were healthy.
‘My animals are hale and hearty and doing what comes naturally. If those complaining are having troubles with their bowels they should consult their doctor,’ he boldly stated.
Complaints about Michael’s cows faded from the scene and he told drinkers in the Imperial Hotel his animals were thriving and he hoped those who were upset by their behaviour should show a little common sense.
‘Like humans, they are doing what comes naturally,’ he laughingly remarked.
And so they were.
Tommy Gillespie wrote some wonderful editorials in The Connaught Telegraph over the years, classics in their own right. Most of all, he was a gentleman of the highest character, understanding and fair-minded.
So what is the future of the Imperial Hotel?
At the moment it is dying a slow death. One way or another, it should be put to some useful purpose.
There is no shortage of money in the government. It is now time they came up with necessary money to purchase the hotel.
Our councillors have done their best to put the Imperial Hotel to some useful purpose.
The councillors, members of Castlebar Chamber of Commerce and other local bodies should seek an early meeting with the appropriate government ministers to decide on the future of the Imperial Hotel.
Time is not on their side before the hotel finally crumbles before our eyes.